The River, Where My World Came Crashing Down
by AidenConner
Summary: [War of the Worlds]Robbie and Juliet Cunningham are on a date when the tripods attack, them faced with reality, doing anything to survive. A story about how love can pull you through anything
1. Prolauge: A Mother's Love

There was a small clearing in the woods, where a woman sat, writing in her journal. Her blue dress was tattered and dirty, skin taut like leather. She was about 50, though her face had seen many more years, permanently etched in fear. She wrote frantically:

I tried to give them all I could. There father, god rest his soul, was a terrible burden on the family. We worked her so hard, my Juliet. We had named her wrongly, and we knew that just as she had turned two. She was a feisty thing, always jumping off things, wanting to play with the bows. I loved them dearly, but Juliet was out only girl, and, how we wanted to spoil her! We wanted so many things for our babies, but we couldn't afford much, Juliet's medicines taking up much of the money we had.

She stopped taking them herself, once. She was fine, as long a she fallowed a strict schedule. That friend of hers, Robert. He was such a nice young man, coming to see her. They had a relationship outside of what she told me, I think. She never really talked to me though, not like a daughter should, but my darling took care of us, after her father left us.

Blood splattered across the page, the woman falling to the ground, a dazed look on her face.


	2. Trying To Resist

"Order up, Jay" A greasy haired fry cook said, ringing the counter bell in a dirty bar, placing a plate of hot wings and beers on the counter, where a long haired girl, wearing a yellow polo shirt, stained with alcohol and catsup picked it up, saying "Thanks, Burnaby.."

The 16-year-old girl walked to a table of overweight truckers who's teeth were browned by coffee and Jack Daniels.

"Thank you, sweetheart" one of them droned, voice smelling of alcohol, clearly as intoxicated as his friend, who was sitting across from him, drooling on the table.

"That'll be $26.50" The girl replied in a monotone, placing the food down, sweeping her long, brown hair out of her face, placing it in a messy bun, as she slapped the check on the table, walking away, not surprised when the trucker grabbed the back of her shirt, pulling her back to the table.

"Now, come on, sweetheart. Don't you want to have a little fun?" He asked, his drooling friend snoring loudly.

"Sir," The girl said in a voice so sugary sweet, that it would put a diabetic into a glucose coma "I must insist that you let go of me."

"Awe, what's the matter, hunny?" the man asked "Afraid of a little action?" He finished, attempting to shove his sausage fingers down her blue jean skirt.

The girl threw a massive punch at the man, who must have been at least 150 pounds heavier than her, hitting him square in the jaw, knocking him on the floor. "I really did warn you" She said, every ounce of sweetness dropping out of her voice as she walked away, the man spitting blood. "Make sure to leave a good tip."

It was nearly 9 O'clock in the morning, when the girl got of work, running hastily to the bar's locker room, taking a hot, long shower, remembering every last drop, knowing that the water had been cut off at the apartment, again.

She quickly combed her hair, it being chocolate brown, interwoven with crimson and honey, hanging down to her waist, her luminescent green eyes being the only thing that could be seen clearly in the fogged up mirror.

She took her fluffy maroon towel off, pulling on a pair of dark blue denim jeans, them fitting perfectly to her thin figure, as she reached into her locker, talking a few pills of various shapes and colors, as she pulled on a white sweater turtleneck, a blue denim jacket, and a blue and white striped scarf. It was an early morning in New York, about April, and the weather was chilly. Just as she was about to leave, she felt a warm body press up against her, and she swooned as that someone kissed the back of her ear.

"Hey, Jules" A masculine voice said, the girl who much preferred JD whispering, "I hate it when you call me that" As she touched his hands that were around her waist from behind.

She turned around quickly, already knowing who was going to be behind her, but she was still excited so see the same, bright blue eyes, the same brown skater cut, placed with a Boston Red Sox baseball cap, the same Robbie, her boyfriend. She hadn't seen him in nearly a week, and she couldn't stop herself from toughing his cheek lightly, then kissing him deeply.

As they explored the layouts of each other's mouths, she realized that he tasted like double mint gum, her like the waxy strawberry lip gloss she always carried around with her. She didn't even notice that the car wasn't his as they got into it. It was some rich, fancy, crossfire type car.

The kiss was so hot, so passionate, JD wanted him so bad. They stopped for a minute, catching there breath, before going at it again.

She soon found herself with her sweater off, a black lace bra pinning closely to her slender body as he kissed her neck, her running her hands through his hair, There lips soon returned to each other as she reached for his zipper, taking her pants off. JD could hardly believe she was doing this. Sure, She and Robbie had had sex before.. A lot before she remembered, but not in this tiny, two person car. Her pants were soon off as well, as she reached inside his boxers, both of there faces turning red as Robbie let out a soft moan.

She suddenly jumped, realizing how dark it had gotten, but she got back into it, slowly removing her hand, and slipping down his boxers.

"What the hell?" She suddenly yelled, as lightning struck the building that had been working in, not an hour before.

"It's Ok.." Robbie said, looking into JD's eyes. "Lightening never strikes the same place-"

"Twice-" JD said, looking back at the bar, the incredibly bright lightning hitting again. "Three, four, five. What the hell is this?" She spat, pulling her pants back on, Robbie doing the same as he started the car, driving fervently. They made it to Fairmont bridge before the car stopped, as JD looked around unbelievingly, every other car on the road stopping as well.

Robbie got out of the car, popping the hood. His dad had thought him a few things about cars, but he could find nothing wrong. He walked to the side of the bridge, standing next to an African American man, as he looked towards the lightening. "22, 23, 24" The man counted as JD stepped out of the car, walking up to Robbie who looked at her, then back at the lightening, then back at her, as well as the African American male.

"Here, baby" Robbie stated, handing her his green jacket, JD quickly taking it, realizing that she had forgotten to put her sweater back on.

After a few minutes, the two begun to walk towards Robbie's house, nearly a mile away. As they were turning the corner, JD embraced Robbie in a kiss, becoming nervous herself when she was the fear in his eyes.


	3. Loosing Control

Robbie walked home, JD doing the same thing as she walked into apartment number 17, a horrible stench filling her lungs.

"Mom?" She called out as she walked into her own room grabbing her over-the-shoulder backpack. She had no idea what was going on, but she couold feel the ground shake beneath her feet as she loaded her bag with what was in her cabinet. A small box of nutrigrain bars, a bag of cheezits, and two bottles of water.

She had a gut feeling that something was happening, and she almost lost it, filling the bag with a bunch of useless things. A chocolate coin, a ceramic egg, a dictionary, and a small gold bacelet and she found herself hitting her head against the wall several times before coming to her sences, pulling out the dictionary and egg, but leaving the tiny trinket of gold.

Robbie and her had agreed to meet each other back at his house, although he admitted, his father would be fuming because he had taken his car.

She didn't bother knocking on their door after she finished the walk across town, after opening the door, seeing Robbie and his little sister, Rachel who adored JD under the kitchen table as Mr. Ferrier whom everyone called Ray, including his own son walked in carrying a box, focussed on only the contents in it. As he dumped the contents out onto the table saying "robbie, fill this up with food"

"Why?" Robbie asked curiousness on his face.

"Just do it" Ray and JD said at the same time, JD sounding more shrill than usual.

"Who are you?" Ray asked.

"That's Jay" Rachel stated, her curly blonde hair wet.

"Who?" Ray asked

"The one I told you about" Rachel stated, crawling out from underneith the table. "how I caught them in mom's room-"

"I'll do it-" Robbie stated, making much more noise than nessicary as he filled the box with food.

"Hi" JD said, "Nice to meet you" She wasn't embarassed, and it took a lot for her to let her guard down, espicially around a man.

Every friday night, JD's father, Richard used to use her and her mother for target practice with his fists, leaving the family after gambeling away every cent they had to their name. JD's brothers had all left, too, for the military- And then their were the drunken men that tried to make a move on her every night at they bar. It was no suprise that JD had a problem trusting men.

When Robbie had left the room, JD looked Ray straight in the eye as he brushed some dust off of his jacket.

"The lightening isn't the only thing going funny, is it?" She asked, continuing on when she was met with nothign except for Ray's black stares. "You know my brother Andy. He's a smart guy, works for the Army in combat. Spends a lot of time outside. Been through a lot. He told me two things I'd never thought I'd use until now. Number one, I am sure you know. Lightenign never strikes the same place twice. It's against everything we know about Physics. I've seen that stuff outside. It doesnt act like lightening, because it isn't lightening. Here's number two. Nothing can move somthing. Unless something has the power to overcome it's streangth, as well as they weight of the thing it's trying to move. Even with the techtonic plates, the magma is moving it. My conclusion, Theres something pretty damn big underground"

Ray turned his attention to Robbie and Rachel standing in the doorway. "Your a smart kid"Was all he said as he grabbed the two of his kids, but JD stood behind. She didn't want to burden him any further.

Ray suddenly stopped. ärent you comming?" he asked, turni and looking back.

JD nodded, catching up with them. The small smile that was on her face began to fade. "You don't have to feel responsible for me or anything-" she said.

Ray nodded, JD walking next to Robbie, sliding her hand in his back pocket, him strapping his arm afound her shoulder.

"Ray won't have to protect her"Robbie thought. He was going to do all of that himself. Whatever was going on, is something happened, we was going to be her knight in shining armour. Robbie didn't hate his dad. He just felt like Ray was always somewhere else, at his work, his car, never thinking about his kids.

"Who's car is this" Rachel asked as they walked into a car gradge, standing in front of a blue mini van.

"Get in" Ray ordered, Robbie getting in the passengers seat, JD opening the side door, placing Rachel in the back, her climbing in too.

"Who's car is this?" Rachel asked again, close to tears, on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

Ït's mine, sweetie"JD said soothingly to the little eleven-year-old girl as she attatched herself to JD.

Ray spotted a friend he knew.

"Hey Ray, you were right. It was the solar-"The jolly looking bald man spotted the three kids in the car, which JD clearle could not afford, though she didn't feel bad about lieing to rachel. "Hey, Ray. What are you doing."

"Get in the car-" Ray said to the man in the blue suit.

"Your talkin' crazy, Ray"

The ground began to rumble again.

"GET IN THE CAR OR YOUR GONNA DIE, MANNY" Ray suddenly found himself screaming. JD looked behind her, seeing two creatures appear from nowhere. They almost looked like machined. She tried to keep Rachel's attention away from the windows, but found that it was impossible. As soon as she was the things, she let out an earsplitting scream that even shook Robbie's ears.

The eleven-year-old was clearly having a nervous breakdown, breathing heavilly. JD tried to calm her, but she was almost out of control.

Robbie turned around. "Rachel, look at me"Robbie said, grabbing his sisters face. "Put them up" He crossed his arms and said soothingly. "This is your space. Nothing can hurt you in your space."

Rachel repeated those words, JD almost in awe as Robbie looked at her with a weak smile. "Sometimes she gets clausterphobic"


	4. Nothing Comes As Easy As You

JD had already taken her back up pills, as the dark fell upon southern New York, the sunset looking brilliant, a tapestry of blues, yellows and greens. The car had been silent for a while now, except when they headed toward a particularly large group of nomads.

Theirs was the only car they had seen in a while that was moving, and apparently; the drifters were having the same experience.

Some were peaceful, letting the four drive by peacefully, welcoming them with a sad smile or a feeble wave, but the others were violent trying to hijack the car, one even smashing a baseball bat against the back window.

Rachel's head was against JD's lap as she stroked Rachel's beautiful blonde hair, which had a slight curl to it. Her honey brown eyes were wide open and in deep concentration.

"Hey, Rach-" Ray stated, eyes still fixed on the road as he swerved around and in between cars. "Why don't you try and get some sleep… We've all had a long day-"

Rachel stirred a bit. "Mom usually sings to me." She looked at JD "Can you sing to me?"

"I'm not much of a singer…" JD said, which was completely false. JD had a voice like the angels and could make up words like no other.

"Please?" Rachel pleaded.

JD hardly noticed when the words came pouring out of her mouth. Truthfully, she was bracing herself. Her illness was complex. Even doctors couldn't figure out all of the deitails. All JD really knew about it was what would happen if she stopped taking her medicine. Unless she fallowed a strict, strict schedule when she was off her meds, she was faced with extreme nausea, migraines, and dizziness, which put her through hell.

It started off as a cold feeling, like all the blood had been drained from your body. She was always in a cold sweat, shaking. The only way to describe it was hell. Pure hell. Sooner than she thought Rachel had fallen asleep, and she too closed her eyes though she knew sleep was impossible.

The car was silent as Ray's eyelids began to close. "Hey, Robbie. How about you drive a shift?" He asked.

Robbie looked at him, thoroughly irritated. "I don't have a license, remember?" He retorted. Ray felt his flat, emotionless face turn to a smirk. He knew that his son was a fighter, and that we was going to make it hard for him. "That didn't stop you before-" Ray said, Robbie finally giving in.

No more than ten minutes later, JD felt the car stop in front of a mansion of a house. The clock on the car reading 7:30, but it felt like two in the morning. The lawn was perfectly manicured in every way, not a blade of grass out of place.

"You live here?" She said in awe as Rachel woke up. He nodded as the four walked to the front of the house. JD was overwhelmed when she entered. She almost felt unworthy of the house, like she wasn't good enough to stay there the night. She was almost ashamed of her own living quarters. They walked into the kitchen, Ray talking a mile a minute looking for food that was edible. He looked at the box Robbie had filled up earlier, dumping it out.

"Mustard, Mayonnaise, Olive Oil-" Ray stated, naming off the items in the box. "Robbie, I thought I said to pack food-"

"That was all that was in your house-" Robbie repelled. A small smile spread across JD's face. The food reminded her of her own eating habits.

"Right." Ray said, seeing the peanut butter. "Bread—" he muttered, searching around the kitchen repeating the word until he found the bread. He started smothering the bread with peanut butter. "Here's one for Rachel-"

"I'm allergic to peanut butter-" Rachel spoke, on a short fuse.

"Since when?"

"Birth"

"OK, fine, fine. Then me and Robbie will have some delicious Peanut Butter Sandwiches."

"I'm not Hungary-"

"Me neither" JD stated. Truth was, she was starving but she was scared that if she ate, it would make her sicker.

"Fine" Ray found himself yelling as he threw the sandwich against the window. As they walked to the basement, JD saw it sliding down.

"Why can't I sleep in my own Room?" Rachel asked. "I have back problems-"

Nobody answered her as Robbie fixed his younger sister up on the futon like couch. JD watched him. He was so gentle with her, and you could tell that they loved each other a lot.

"Night Rach. Love Ya" Robbie said, Rachel replying "Night-"

It was amazing how quickly the little girl fell asleep, as Ray fixed himself a bed in the corner. Robbie crouched up against the wall, into a sit. JD sat next to Rachel. It was so messed up, how she was dieing to be near him. She wanted him to tell her that everything was going to be all right. She was sure of only one thing, though. They were being massacred.

Robbie looked up, seeing the look in JD's normally sparkling green eyes. It was so stupid. Here he was, in his mothers basement, terrorists or aliens or whatever attacking, and all he could think of was her. He was worried, too. Normally Jules was tough, self reliant, so sure of herself. Of what she wanted, but now she seemed lost, worried.

"Or coarse she was worried-" He told himself. "This could be the end of the whole freaking free world-" But what really got Robbie was the fact that the attacks just kept on coming. He was so compelled to fight, to help out, but all of those thoughts were pushed out of his head then JD walked up to him, sitting between his legs. He placed his hands around her waist as he kissed her forehead. He almost jumped. She was freezing.

"You alright, Babe?" he asked

"Yeah" She replied. Now that you're here."

Robbie closed his eyes, taking it all in, feeling her against him. When people described love in the movies, they said it was uncomfortable. A churning stomach, twittering heart, always thinking about the person, but to Robbie it was completely different. He always felt so… content. That was the only way he could describe it. A feeling of perfection, but he was always unsure of the way she felt.

He knew that she had a hard life, not with just men, but women, too. Practically her whole family left her to fend for herself. He was positive; he was madly in love with JD. His Jules. Even Robbie was surprised when JD fell asleep in his arms, he not far from dream land himself.

Suddenly, a voice came from the darkness. "She's a good kid-"

Robbie recognized Ray's voice immediately. "Yeah, well, from all the bad shit she's been through, she turned out perfect-"

Ray looked at Robbie curiosity in his eyes. "There's just one thing I don't get-. How did you meet. I mean she doesn't live exactly close to your mom, and your never at my place so-"

"She works at a bar I went to once" Robbie stated simply.

"She works at a bar-" Ray repeated, "She works at a bar?"

Just then there was an explosion, a blast of fire and light coming from the door. Rachel started screaming, but JD remained in her dreamland.


End file.
